just the basics
by Sagrada Familia
Summary: Day 4: Thunder. Suki may have a point.
1. spring

Summary: Spring. Today is the last first day of spring Ty Lee will spend with them in a long time.

A/N at the end.

* * *

It's not a promise but along the way it turned into an unspoken one.

Every first day of spring, she visits Mai and Zuko in that cramped department they own; their couch is 9 feet long, it barely fits but they will never get rid of it.

("It's the first thing we bought," Zuko says with a proud smirk adorning his face.

Ty Lee tilts her head to the side. "What about a bed?"

"He forgot." Mai peeps her head out of the grocery bags. "Where do you think we slept all this time?")

The first two years were merely coincidental; when Mai mentioned to her, the second day of spring of the second year, about her appearance from yesterday, she decided to make it a "tradition". She didn't premeditate it most years, she just suddenly remembered that there were two days until spring and decided to appear and annoy Mai for the sake of it; every now and then, when Mai's guard is down her aura suggests that she may even be wanting for her to stay a little bit longer.

By the fourth year, she knew her company was unwanted.

It wasn't because of her or him, she knew that.

But things weren't like they used to and even if it is okay that way, sometimes most people don't realize that.

("What happened to the vase I gave you?" Ty Lee asks; by the fifth year the apartment looks emptier and colder.

"He must have taken it when he left." Mai avoids his name, this is probably the first time she mentions his existence to her during all her stay.)

So, there she was, sixth year, sitting in the balcony, next to Zuko, facing Mai and that vase she gave her in her 13th birthday. Ty Lee doesn't smoke but she would if she could look as elegant as Mai and they way she held the cigarette between her fingers.

("Smoking isn't cool," Mai states as she steps on the butt of her cigarette, underneath the bleachers at school, ten years ago. "If it were, it would quit me the headaches, not give me more.")

Ty Lee loves the view. It's different to what she's accustomed to.

From here she can see all the city lights, bright; it's nighttime and people don't hurry anymore, at least not to a certain extent; she hears the taxis honk and the sound of dogs barking from the apartment underneath, in the street down to the left she hears a group of girls laughing.

If she could see love blossom again, this would be the most boring way, Mai would say, but this is Ty Lee's perception and sometimes the simple things that they don't see is what truly matter.

It's been a while since the three of them have gotten high together.

Zuko turns on the playlist that Sokka uses when they get high and urges everyone to _listen_ _to this song_.

Meanwhile, Mai brings back old memories. Zuko doesn't cringe anymore when he hears Azula's name.

"And then I remember, we were walking down the street with Ty Lee and -it was so ridiculous- but we looked at Azula, and she was walking like the world was her runway, then we looked at each other because we were pretty sure she did a hair flip-"

Mai mimicked the hair flip and Zuko's entire face changed.

"That was so cool," He interrupted in surprise.

"What?" Mai raised her brow with a smirk.

"You literally did it to the beat of the music, when the cool part came."

"So?"

"So? Sokka and I can't do anything remotely similar even when we try to."

Mai scoffed. The smile wouldn't get off Zuko's face, he stared into the nightlife, he put his hand in her leg and she intertwined her fingers in his. Mai started talking about the time she almost burnt down the kitchen.

They didn't realize it but Ty Lee did.

("So..." Mai's voice reached through her cellphone, "When are you coming again?"

"I don't know," She did not lie. "Maybe never."

Mai sighed and she could hear the hint of humor in it. "See you next year.")

Ty Lee hung up.

Maybe she'll be coming sooner, winter doesn't seem like a bad idea.

* * *

A/N: Spring isn't always green grass and nature. This is so ridiculously indie/alternative it hurts, but it did happen, when you're high you can see love in the strangest forms. Also, the song is one by Duke Dumont, because of course they were listening to house music when getting high, it's up to anyone to figure out which song it is exactly.


	2. mask

A/N: NSFW? It's pretty suggestive.

Mask.

They've come a long way.

Mai does remember her first time, and her second, and third, by the fifth she stopped counting and now if you ask her for an estimate number she would be guessing.

She's good at calculations.

But when they're alone she doesn't worry about anything else; it might sound primal, it might sound irrational, it might sound like everything she's not, (even if she's much more than what she seems at first glance, but most people don't see past first glance when it comes to her; Azula didn't).

She's learned to embrace that weakness of her.

(but to what extent she considers it a weakness if she likes it so much?)

She drops one mask for another.

(She plays dumb; "I don't know what you mean, Zuko, you know I'm not that good at geography, maybe you could show me where after the meeting." Her breath hot against his neck and her hand is touching his leg).

She drops her mask altogether.

(Vulnerable; other than her mother, the only person who has seen that big scar she made in her leg when she was learning how strap her knives onto her body was him. He's the only who has the privilege to see her at her worst, according to mother, there's no room for failure.)

She grabs his face and stares deep into his eyes. She wants to make him scream.

She's on her knees.

He's on her knees.

They're together.

(Inside out. Inside out. Inside out. Repeat.)

Let it all hang out.

His hair is wet and there's sweat dripping down his back.

She pulls her arm around his body and pushes him back to the mattress.

She kisses his shoulder.

She can't hide what she's feeling. She doesn't want to.


	3. Sweet

Sweet.

Zuko hates fruits tarts.

He can try all he wants but he will always hate them.

Zuko isn't a good liar but he tries, the spirits know it.

He's willing to keep a secret (yes, he is calling it a secret!) just to see her happy.

Because the spirits also know that she isn't an euphoric person.

("So did you like them?" 8 year old Mai asks the next afternoon she comes to visit the palace, her mother is spying by the corner of her eye.

Zuko smiles nervously. "Loved them!"

Mai is happy, so is her mother.)

("Mom, is there a way to tell a girl that her taste in sweets sucks?"

Ursa laughs softly and keeps brushing his hair, he grimaces, he thought she would have stopped by now. "Is it necessary you have to tell her?"

"Well, yeah! So, she can actually start cooking things I actually like!"

"Don't be spoiled and accept a gift, if you really don't like it you can always give it to your sister in secret," Ursa wasn't great at advice, but that didn't mean she didn't try.

Zuko frowns. "I'd rather eat it.")

* * *

"Running off during an unimportant meeting in the middle of the earth kingdom only to go to your uncle's teashop and risk getting scolded by grumpy old men who probably have enough visual perception to spot the only dragon alive in modern day history?" Mai sighs. "That's adventurous."

"Danger and safety all at the same time, there's nothing wrong with that." Zuko smiles, eyes closed, against the breeze.

Mai yawns.

Zuko opens one eye, drops his arms altogether and turns around. "Hey, no yawning! We'll have fun!"

Mai rolls her eyes. "Zuko, I think that chasing you around the world has already succeeded all my expectations about what fun is. Right now, my only ambition, is to sleep," She says as she lays against Zuko's dragon.

"Well, wouldn't you want to tell our grandchildren you flew on top of a dragon?"

Mai blushes. "Our?"

Zuko analyzes what he said and turns red from head to toe. "Y-you know wha-t-t I mean." He scratches his back.

"If you say so." Mai smirks and closes her eyes to take a nap.

* * *

Zuko was dreading for this day because he knew it would come, he just didn't expect he would be betrayed by his own uncle.

Mai. Cooking. Fruit tarts.

Not a good combination.

Why did his uncle have to suggest it?

"She's going to burn down your Kitchen," Zuko "joked".

"Nonsense, nephew, everyone can learn how to cook. It's better late than never."

"Actually, I might burn everything down. I don't know how to turn on a stove," Mai said monotonously.

Mai. The most skilled knife-thrower in the fire nation. The most threatening girl in the fire nation. Possibly most powerful woman in the fire nation if in the future she decides to become his Firelady instead of dumping him due to having to pretend he was into those awful fruit tarts she loved so much.

She did not know how to something as basic as turning on... _a stove?!_

Zuko grimaced.

"Stop looking at me with that face." Mai unintentionally pointed at him with the kitchen knife. He gulped.

"Okay, first of all, just because you know how to throw knives, it doesn't mean you know how to hold kitchen knives." He took the knife from her hand and carefully put it in the counter. "and second, I'll turn on the stove for you." Just a tiny flicker from his finger was enough to turn on the oven.

"How was I supposed to do that if I can't bend?" Mai questioned him.

"By asking me, that's what boyfriends are for." He pointed at himself proudly.

"To turn on ovens? That's useful."

* * *

"Finally, I am really hungry," Zuko says between pressed teeth; anything to make her happy.

Mai squints and Zuko raises one eyebrow.

"Wait, you actually wanted some?" Mai asks.

"What?" Zuko mutters, "Wait, you didn't make anything for me?"

"Well, I thought you hated them." Mai set down her plate on the table.

"How did you know?! I mean, I never told you!"

Mai blinks. "You seriously can't be asking me that."

"I don't know how to lie." Zuko sighs. "I'm kind of offended but at the same time I am relieved."

Zuko grabs a fruit tart and takes a bite. He makes a face of disgust. " _Very_ relieved."

"I know, they're disgusting. I'm going to give them to your mascot."

"It's a dragon."

"Same difference. Just don't let me near a kitchen again." She takes the plate outside and comes back. "By the way, Iroh is cooking us something, because you don't how to either."

* * *

A/N: An AU where Zuko doesn't like fruit tarts basically.


	4. Thunder

Thunder.

Mai's biggest act of rebellion, which will never finish, is being the complete opposite of her mother. However, she does have to admit that _even_ _she_ can understand her mother when it comes to mud and everything that's dirty.

Zuko waves from the backyard, Mai is grimacing from the window of the dumbass hotel (if you can even call it that) located in the dumbass region of Kyoshi Island (not to abuse of her title of girlfriend of the firelord, but you would think that an hotel would offer fire flakes).

"Zuko, I swear to the spirits if you don't clean your shoes before you enter, I will throw you out from the window, then I'll break up with you," Mai shouts. "Remember that we're on the third floor."

Zuko smiles and ignores her. He will definitely be thrown out of the window.

* * *

Mai shuts her book. "You clearly had fun with Aang out there. You smell like nature and animal piss."

Zuko smells his shirt. "I do?"

"That's not the point. Just take a shower now or we'll be late to the event."

* * *

"Now you don't look like a swamp monster," She mentions while fixing his robe. "In fact, you actually look pretty good."

"Is that your way of saying that I'm hot." He wiggles his eyebrows.

Mai roll her eyes and smiles. "If it makes you happy, then yes."

Zuko kisses her and keeps her in his arms. He stares at the window while Mai puts her head on his shoulder. "Huh, I guess the rain hasn't stopped yet."

Mai looks up. "Suki said that it meant good luck in here, since it is so dry in the earth kingdom it usually didn't rain, so when it did, it basically meant something good."

She lets go of Zuko and sits on the bed to strap on her heels.

Zuko stares at her.

"Hey." He sits next to her

"What?"

"I love you."

Mai stops. Her heart starts racing and blood rushes to her cheeks. She kisses him gently. "I love you too."

* * *

"Who would have thought the re-opening of the old Kyoshi academy would get us so drunk," Zuko says, throwing his body to bed.

"It's not every day we have excuses to drink, Zuko." Mai strips to her underwear.

"Don't you feel like the bed is flying?" Zuko asks. "This is what Aang must feel like."

Mai snorts and pushes him aside to get under the covers. "I'm not _that_ drunk."

"Umm... sure." He 'boops' her nose.

"Please, are you going to tell me you're less drunk than me?" She raises one eyebrow.

"No but that doesn't mean you're not drunk."

"I never said I wasn't drunk." She 'boops' his nose back mockingly. "Go to sleep or you'll regret it tomorrow with your hangover"

He joins her in bed and wraps his arms around her.

"This was a really good day," He says, "and I'm beginning to think Suki was right, there is a thunder after all, right?"

"I used to really hate thunders," Mai admits. "But maybe I can get used to them." She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair.


End file.
